Derelict Sunday

This house actually has a story and a rather sad one.  It sits across the road from a house that recently sold for about $700,000.  When we moved into our current house 25 years ago, it looked a lot better.  The man who lived here by himself was a welder I believe.  He had a truck all equipped with what looked like welding equipment.  Though he never looked young he was always in front of his house or across the street to the side at the river, smoking a cigarette and just looking into it.  He had one or two other vehicles and a free standing garage.  I just found out from the realtor writeup that the house was built in the late 1700s.  Someone told me he had a couple of daughters that lived nearby.  About 15 years ago the house had a really bad fire and the upper floors were destroyed including the roof. He didn't move out, he didn't get it repaired.  I'm guessing he had no insurance and no money.  He began living in just the bottom floor.  For awhile there was no electricity.  That was restored eventually and when driving by you could see the insulation hanging from the ceiling upstairs.  A little after that, a new roof went on.  But still he seemed to be ok, often walking outside and puttering around.  About a year ago he wasn't ever seen outside, his daughter's car was often in the driveway.  Oh and the garage collapsed either shortly before or after the fire.  He passed away a few months ago.  We saw the ambulance and police cars.  It's for sale, $115,000.